This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for removing product from a package having a filmic casing containing the product, and more particularly but not exclusively to an apparatus and method for removing such a filmic casing from a food product held by the casing in an elongate and generally cylindrical package.
The invention will be described with particular reference to packaging bulk minced meat in filmic casings for subsequent delivery to a processor who converts the bulk minced meat into discrete packages for retail distribution. The present invention is useful in opening the casings and separating the casings from the meat so that the meat can be converted into the aforementioned discrete packages.
When animals, (notably beef stock) are processed for food, some of the resulting meat is minced and packaged in bulk in elongate filmic casings which are closed at the ends by various: means including metal; clips, heat sealing, etc. These packages are then shipped to processors who open the packages manually to strip the filmic casing away from the meat. The meat is then further processed into consumer orientated packages.
The manual process of stripping the casing is both time consuming and subject to losses because some of the meat and juices remain in the spent casings. Further the risk of contamination is always exacerbated when there is a need for human intervention in a process involving food preparation.
Accordingly, it is among the objects of the invention to provide an apparatus and a method that limits human intervention when filmic casings are stripped from packages for extracting the product from the packages for further processing.
In one of its aspects, the invention provides an apparatus and a method for processing packages made up of a filmic casing containing a product, to separate the casing from the product for subsequent further processing of the product. The package is moved through a series of steps to first weaken the casing, and then a leading end of the moving casing is gripped and the end of the casing is moved away from the product. As a result the casing is stripped off the product as the weakened casing opens and the product continues to move.